27 girls, counselors at Camp Mystic killed in Texas floods: Live updates
"Our hearts are broken alongside our families that are enduring this unimaginable tragedy," the private Christian camp, Camp Mystic, said in a statement on its website. "We are praying for them constantly."
It's unclear how many of the 27 fatal victims were children and how many were counselors. Across the state, at least 81 people have died in the flooding since Friday, officials said.
On Sunday, local authorities in Kerr County, where the worst of the flooding occurred, said 10 children and a counselor were among the many people still missing. It's unclear if that number had changed.
"We have been in communication with local and state authorities who are tirelessly deploying extensive resources to search for our missing girls," the statement said.
There were about 700 children at the camp when relentless rain caused the nearby Guadalupe River to surge over 26 feet in less than an hour on Friday, said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Photos taken at the scene show a building where some of the children slept with broken windows and a blown-out wall. Among the debris-covered mud were pink blankets and stuffed animals.
"We will remain 100% dedicated, searching for every single one of the children who were at Camp Mystic as well as anybody else in the entire riverbed," Texas Gov. Greg Abbot vowed at a news conference Sunday. "We are working as swiftly as possible."
In the wake of the deadly Texas floods, a variety of aid groups, nonprofits and other organizations are accepting donations to help victims and assist in the recovery effort.
The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country started a Kerr County Flood Relief Fund, which will provide aid to vetted organizations in Hunt, Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point and other areas. Crowdfunding website GoFundMe has an updated page for verified fundraisers connected to flood victims and their families.
Other organizations accepting donations include World Central Kitchen and the Salvation Army, which is distributing supplies and has set up a mobile kitchen in the disaster area.
More: Texas flooding deaths hit at least 80: Here's how you can help
– James Powel
For the meteorologists and hydrologists tracking the weather patterns that led to the deadly floods across Texas Hill Country, the most urgent advisories weren't deployed until it was almost too late, according to interviews and advisories.
Forecasters said they pushed out warnings as fast as they got the data. But the hilly terrain and the trickiness of predicting flash floods made forecasting and alerting communities along the Guadalupe River in real time particularly challenging.
"This is a problem that we are constantly trying to work on: how to better communicate," Greg Waller, a hydrologist at the National Weather Service's West Gulf River Forecast Center in Fort Worth, told USA TODAY. "We can issue the best forecast in the world, but if it's not put in the hands of the individuals so they can make the best decision, that forecast has little value."
Read more: Warnings for deadly Texas flash flooding came with little time to act
– Rick Jervis
The National Weather Service extended a flood watch through 7 p.m. local time as downpours were expected through Monday, including in hard-hit parts of the state.
Federal forecasters said it's difficult to pinpoint exact locations where the heaviest rain will fall, noting that an uptick in intensity is possible over the Hill Country, where the worst of deadly floods have occurred.
Widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches were expected, forecasters said, warning that some areas could receive 10 inches of rain.
"The thunderstorms should become more organized and move westward possibly across the flood-ravaged portion of Texas during the day today," the weather service said Monday.
Trump said he expects to visit Texas later this week after catastrophic flooding caused extensive death and destruction in the state.
"Probably on Friday," Trump told reporters on Sunday when asked about visiting the state. "We wanted to leave a little time. I would've done it today, but we'd just be in their way."
Earlier on Sunday, Trump signed a major disaster declaration for hard-hit Kerr County, unlocking federal funding for first responders on the ground and offering FEMA assistance to victims of the flooding.
— Zac Anderson
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas flooding live updates: 27 killed at Camp Mystic
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
28 minutes ago
- Fox News
DAVID MARCUS: In a deadly flood's wake, Hill Country Texans are all in on emergency relief
BOERNE, Texas – In the proximity of great tragedy there often lies an eerie stillness, as if any loud noise or sudden movement might trigger nature's wrath again. Such is the feeling here this week in this town about 25 minutes outside of the Kerr County flood zone where more than 100 souls have perished. Within hours of the flash floods on Friday, Boerne (pronounced like Bernie), along with nearby towns such as Fredrickburg, and Welfare, were already assembling supplies and arranging volunteers for their flooded neighbors. That's just what they do here. I met Dick outside the Black Rifle Coffee cafe on Main Street. He's retired, has lived in the town for 25 years and he told me, "Everybody feels it. If this doesn't make you sad, then you aren't human." When I asked Dick if he was surprised by how aggressively the community responded, he told me, "Not at all, it's how we are," adding, "Did you know this area was founded in the 19th century by German freethinkers? They wanted to be free, and we still do, so we take care of our own." As we spoke beneath the unparalleled beauty of the same Texas skies that wrought such devastation last week, we saw and heard massive equipment on the backs of flat beds, heading to Kerr County. Dick wasn't the first person to raise these Hill Country roots to me. Even on my plane, the woman next to me, who lives in the area, gave me a short history of the free thinkers and their impact, and she was an immigrant from Colombia. Later in the day, I spoke with Kristen who lives in Fredericksburg, and told me that she knew things looked bad early on Friday. She was annoyed at first by the initial lack of news coverage, "then we heard about the camp, that girls were missing, it was a gut punch." By Saturday morning, she and her friends were bringing supplies to the town of Comfort, which had turned what was supposed to be a legendary local fireworks show into an emergency center. This was also about when Rabbi Yosef Marrus, of the Chabbad of Boerne, began not only collecting supplies, but contacting the organization's headquarters in Brooklyn to begin a national fundraising campaign. "The Jewish community in the Hill Country is small, Marrus told me, "but we are proud to be here and had to help. We are all Americans." Marrus stressed to me the importance of finding out what specifically is needed in the area. In one case, a fire department was flush with food donations but didn't have enough refrigerators to store them. Not long after, the Chabbad bought two fridges and had them delivered. One of the central locations where Marrus and others have staged supplies is Bunker Branding in Boerne, owned by Clint Sanders and his wife Jenna, and it was abuzz with activity on Monday morning. "We do branding for a lot of websites," Clint told me, "so we had a way to get word out and we needed to do something, and we have this warehouse space." He walked me through the facility. There were different items staged around and trailers outside to be packed. Sanders also told me that finding out what is really needed is key. "We have a ton of donated clothes upstairs, but they don't need clothes right now. Next week maybe they will." Impressed as I was by the operation, I said to Sanders, "How do you and your wife know how to do all this?" Without missing a beat, he smiled and said, "We don't." That really is the most impressive part of all of this. No regular person really knows what to do after 20 feet of water rises in 45 minutes, taking with it scores of lives, but with the help of the state, local and federal authorities, they learn on the job with incredible speed. Maybe, given the particularly horrible loss of life of so many children from this area, people need something to do, to stay busy. On the couple of occasions when the loss of so many kids came to the fore of my conversations, a thousand-yard stare would emerge in their eyes; How does one even comprehend? Being here in Boerne, seeing the selfless efforts of these tough Texans, I trust that the German freethinkers who settled this land 175 years ago would be very proud today of the communities they created. And as Americans, we should all be very proud of them, too.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
After Texas floods that killed campers, here's what to consider when sending your kids to camp
Death and destruction at a venerable Texas summer camp might have parents wondering about the risks of sending their kids away to any camp, even if it's in a much different setting and less vulnerable to a natural disaster. The stunning flood that killed more than two dozen campers and counselors along a river at Camp Mystic in the Texas Hill Country was the result of extraordinary rain and walls of water. Nonetheless, experts agree that information about how a camp plans for emergencies is just as important as the lunch menu and the times to go swimming. Many summer camps, of course, are based around woods and water. Kids often stay in rustic cabins with bunk beds and no electricity, all part of the charm of being away from home, maybe for the first time. The American Camp Association, which accredits camps and has thousands of members, said parents may want to ask how a camp stays in touch with local emergency service teams. Two people with longtime connections to camps also offered suggestions about what families should be thinking about. What should parents ask about camp safety? In Michigan, Jim Austin, 69, has been around summer camps for decades, as a camper, staff member and grandparent seeing his grandchildren off again to Camp Hayo-Went-Ha on Torch Lake, founded in 1904. He said parents should ask how a camp handles any emergency, even an active shooter. 'Do they have a buddy check in the swimming area? Do they have a procedure when somebody is missing? Do they have things in place for severe weather?' Austin said. 'If you're in Florida, you're looking at hurricanes. Anywhere in the Midwest, you're looking at a tornado, even thunderstorms. 'If they have to make it up,' he added, 'that's a big red flag.' Mike Deen, who operates Camp Ao-Wa-Kiya in Michigan's Oceana County, faced a crisis a year ago when part of a tree fell and destroyed a cabin with more than a dozen people, mostly girls, in the middle of the night. An adult was trapped in her bed for 90 minutes. Any injuries were minor. 'Our policies worked. Personnel were on hand very, very quickly,' Deen said. 'Parents should ask a camp: What's your relationship with local emergency services? How long does it take to get here? Parents should be able to go into camps and ask wise questions but also trust the camps are doing a good job.' Austin hopes the rare event in Texas doesn't discourage families from sending kids to a camp. 'Your kid is going to come back with more independence, with more responsibilities, with the ability to make conversations as opposed to texting with their thumbs all the time,' he said. 'They're going to make lifelong friends and develop bonds.' Camps reach out to soothe any anxiety The headlines in Texas led some camps to reach out to their camper families even if the camps were nowhere near danger. Henry DeHart, interim president of the American Camp Association, said it's a good idea, noting that 'tragedies anywhere can be felt everywhere.' Adirondack Camp in New York expressed sorrow about the Fourth of July tragedy at Camp Mystic and emphasized that safety at its camp along Lake George is 'our top priority.' 'Our camp is not located in a flood zone. ... We receive real-time alerts for storms, high winds, or other threats,' Rikki Galusha, vice president of camp operations, said in an email. Camp Balcones Springs in Texas is more than 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) away from Camp Mystic and located on a hill to avoid flood risk. Staff sent at least five emails to families over the weekend to say campers were safe. It would be impossible under current conditions for the closest body of water, Lake Travis, to affect the camp, staff said. The camp director's cellphone number was shared because of problems with phone lines. 'We kindly ask that you refrain from mentioning the recent tragedies or weather-related challenges to your children. Our goal is to maintain a positive, safe and uplifting environment for everyone,' the camp told families. Jim Sibthorp, a professor at the University of Utah who has studied the life-changing impact of camps on children, said parents can't foresee every catastrophe. 'Getting kids immersed in nature has many benefits, and nature is unpredictable. ... However, when the unpredictability ends in tragedy, it is difficult to swallow,' he said. ____ Associated Press writer Safiyah Riddle in Montgomery, Alabama, contributed to this story.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Coast Guard member from N.J. describes effort to help rescue 165 from deadly Texas floods
A New Jersey man with the U.S. Coast Guard is being hailed as a hero for helping rescue more than 165 people from the deadly Texas floods. Many of those rescued were girls staying at Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp, where at least 27 other campers and counselors died in the devastating flash flooding. "It was pretty traumatic" As the Guadalupe River surged in Texas on the Fourth of July, Coast Guard rescue swimmer Scott Ruskan, who is from New Jersey, flew with his team through severe weather to get to Camp Mystic, where hundreds were trapped. "We decided the best course of action was to leave me there," Ruskan said. Ruskan, 26, was on his first mission out of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. He found himself on the ground in the flood zone, setting up triage and comforting many girls at the camp. Vehicles sit submerged as a search and rescue worker looks through debris for any survivors or remains of people swept up in the flash flooding on July 6, 2025 in Hunt, Texas. Jim Vondruska / Getty Images "It was pretty traumatic. You have a lot of kids who are having probably the worst day of their life, they are missing friends, they are missing loved ones, they don't know where they are," Ruskan said. "Bridges were gone, roadways were gone" Ruskan and colleagues from the Air National Guard rescued 165 victims from the flood. "They were in need of airlift. There was no other way to get them out. Bridges were gone, roadways were gone, and the water was coming up too high for boat rescue. The only option was airlift," Ruskan said. Ruskan credited his crew. His family said he did exactly what he was trained to do. An aerial view over the Guadalupe River on July 6, 2025 in Kerrville, Texas, after heavy rainfall caused deadly flooding. / Getty Images "This is exactly what he wants to do" Ruskan was sworn in to the U.S. Coast Guard while at Rider University during the height of the COVID pandemic. His mother and aunt said the Warren County, N.J., native went to college for accounting but quickly realized saving lives was his calling. "Very proud. He is doing what he loves to do. This is exactly what he wants to do," his mother, Eileen Ruskan, said. "We are just grateful for him, you know, on the other hand, so full of sadness for these people that are living through what really he has tried to help and do his very best in," his aunt, Marie Rowan, said. "My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families that are involved in this today and the last few days," Eileen Ruskan said.
